For Health, Wellness, and Fitness.....It's a mindset....: Tips and Tricks Healthy Weight Loss

For Health, Wellness, and Fitness.....It's a mindset....: Tips and Tricks Healthy Weight Loss: Here are some great tricks to help with weight loss! 1. Use chopsticks while eating. You can get a nice pair and carry them with yo...

Tips and Tricks Healthy Weight Loss

Here are some great tricks to help with weight loss!

1. Use chopsticks while eating. You can get a nice pair and carry them with you when you go out. These will slow you down while eating allowing your body to register the food so that you will eat less and feel full sooner there by cutting your portions. 

2. Use a salad plate instead of a regular sized dinner plate at home always!

3. Don't go back for seconds, or at least wait 15 minutes. Give your LEPTIN a chance!

4. Don't eat out. Ok this is unrealistic, right? Just ask the waiter to work with you. Order your dressing on the side. Steer clear of loaded potatoes, frys, and oily rice. Some types of fat are ok, but seriously unless a restaurant boasts about using olive oil, coconut oil, or some other healthy fat in their dishes, then they probably use what's in the budget. 

5. Plan your meals ahead of time. No plans can lead to "fast high carb/bad fat food." Not good.

6. Keep healthy snacks prepared in the fridge so if you are starving you won't grab junk. Some suggestions would be any raw veggie you like. Have some bone broth or any clear soup you can heat up. A small portion of healthy raw nuts( about 16-17 nuts is portion). Read the label on the nuts! Nuts are rich and high in fat and calories. It is good fat but remember, calories in, calories out. 

7. Throw out  all processed food from your pantry meaning anything with more than 3 ingredients. Don't be tempted to buy more. Keeping them around for the kids is not an excuse, they don't need it either!

8. No white foods meaning white rice, white potatoes, white bread, white flour.  Ok so I splurge on sushi occasionally!! It's my weakness..

9. No carbs after 2-3 in the afternoon, including fruit.

10. Be a label reader, if it has more than 3 ingredients, stay away.

11. Stay away from alcohol. Alcohol cheats your metabolism because it needs to be processed first there by sending your food to be stored in your thighs, stomach, or wherever you keep your fat. Not to mention a buzz causes us to make bad food decisions.  I know this may be a sacrifice for some but If you can do it while you are actively trying to lose weight it will really help. So, maybe set a goal for 6 weeks.

12. Eliminate all dairy while you are trying to lose weight. Exceptions would be full-fat yogurt with fruit instead of dessert. The best is dairy is from a farm that does not process their milk and farms organic and free range. You may need to do some research to find these. 

13. Eat a high protein/fat breakfast to help your body feel satiated and help your hormone balance.  This actually works!

14. Eat organic, grass fed, free range, wild caught proteins.

15. Eat often, about every 3-4 hours. The Ketogenic Gurus will tell you different but unless you are trying to go into ketosis and you are eating almost all fats and almost no carbs(less than around 25 grams per day) you need to eat small balanced portions (300 calories) more frequently in order to "stoke the metabolic fire."

16. Exercise. If you have a lot to lose, just walk, work your way up to more and always check with your Doctor before starting an exercise program. 

17. Eliminate all processed foods from your diet. Be a whole food foodie!

18. Read books about nutrition. Watch videos about nutrition. There are some great video links on this blog from previous posts. Educating yourself can help you to internalize the information and will help the information stay in your subconscious which will affect the choices you make. 

19. If you work at a desk job, eat a small healthy lunch and go for a walk or do some light exercise during your lunch hour. Try standing up more often if possible. Click here for more information.

20.  If you have cravings, once a week take a day off and have whatever you want, just get back to your healthy habits the next day. Many people find that once they start getting results they don't want to "take a day off."


Incorporate these things into your life and you will be amazed!























photo credit: 090920-40286-LX3 via photopin (license)

Why Alcohol is Really Poison and Sabotages Weight Loss

I know we are all on the battle of the bulge. I know it's a constant battle for me. I wanted you guys to read this article. It really explains the role of alcohol in our weight loss efforts. One fact  I didn't realize. It reduces testosterone in men up to 23%, and increases estrogen.  The estrogen increase is well publicized because of the breast cancer increase in women caused by alcohol consumption. I believe it increases the incidence of breast cancer by 50% in women drinking more than 3 -5oz  glasses of wine per week, or 3 servings of 1.5oz of liquor, or 3 beers.  Men can get away with a little more but it all boils down to the same thing alcohol is seen by the body as a poison. 

I hope that doing all this research is going to get me to stop completely one day. No promises but I am working towards this goal. Go CARLY for stoping for 1 year

Here is the article: http://www.builtlean.com/2012/11/26/alcohol-weight-loss/

Women, alcohol, and breast cancer:    http://community.breastcancer.org/livegreen/alcohol-and-cancer-you-cant-drink-to-your-health/

Overview of current issues in nutrition and good reads and video

After having a lovely couple of days to visit with two of my family members that I love very much, and finding out about the struggles with nutrition of some of my family members I decided to write down an overview of my thoughts and conclusions for them. This blog certainly does not cover all facets of nutrition but only a few current and controversial issues.

You probably already know that nutrition is a hobby of mine and I have done tons of reading so thought I would send you some stuff to "chew" on since you are in a "get healthy mode."  Here are some books and videos you may want to watch and read. 

These books are not in the order of priority, just how I thought of them. They are good reads and very informative with some good research to support themselves.

Eat to Live

The No-Grain Diet

Going Against the Grain

The China Study-plant based   By T. Colin Campbell.

Dr Esselstyn Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.   www.heartattackproof.com -plant based.  Dr. Esselstyn and T. Colin Campbell basically did the similiar research from different backgrounds but leading to the same results.  

Any book on the paleo-diet, they all preach the same thing.- lots of meat

The Engine2 Diet-plant based---Dr. Esselstyn's son- he's a firefighter in Austin,TX. 

The 17 Day Diet is what Mike used to lose 30 lbs. I lost 10. This works but you have to maintain the healthy life style. There is too much protein for long term (for my taste)but if you are healthy starting out with no medical conditions it will get your weight off, and fast.  If I were trying to lose weight quickly this is how I would go just to get the weight off.

The Ultra Mind Solution-by Mark Hyman- This book got my oldest daughter off her meds. She has Bi-Polar II. The medications she was taking are responsible for destroying the delicate chemical balance around her nerve synapses and is why she reacts so violently to stress and some allergens. She is actually still getting used to having emotions. She walked around in a stupor for around seven years.  I am so proud of her for doing this, it was not a walk in the park. It is amazing what you can accomplish with good nutrition.

Videos:

The Weight of the Nation- There are 4 parts. This is an excellent series about our diet in this country

Forks over Knives- Made by the China Study Dr. who by the way, was raised on a dairy farm.hmmmm

The Last Heart Attack- Title speaks for itself. Great video and not too long

Supersize Me- Most people have heard of or seen this one.


The China Study- This is great if you have heart disease caused  by high cholesterol, but with some issues because it is so extreme. Many may find it hard to follow due to it's strictness and end up with deficiencies that can cause problems.  

It's important to note that getting enough protein and B complex, especially B-12, as will as omega-3 fatty acids preferably from Flax Seed NOT fish oil is extremely important. Sources like tofu, tempeh,  whole grains, small portions of nuts, and seeds, and healthy fats from plant sources are necessary for our body's nervous system and cells to function properly. Nutritional yeast is loaded with B-12 and can be sprinkled on many foods with it's nutty cheesy flavor.  The China Study talks in detail about the dangers of dairy food. I agree  that we are not cows, so why do we drink their milk and products of their milk.? The research shows that the casein in other animals milk can contribute to and feed many types of cancer.  This makes perfect sense to me. 

There are many books on the paleo-diet claiming that we should eat like our ancestors but it is important to note that our ancestors ate meat periodically. They were hunters and gatherers. Meat was not consistently available. Even the indians killed buffalo while following the herds and many times would wake up and find that the herd had moved on putting them again without a meat source until they found another. During this time of scarcity, which could be days to weeks or longer, they survived on plants, roots, seeds, and fruit, thus balancing out their diet and cleaning out their arteries. The cave men had the same type of access to meat and animals. In America the availability of any type of food at anytime is what is killing us. The typical American diet consists of some type of meat and many times dairy at every meal.

People in Asia have the lowest rates of cancer and heart disease for a reason. They consume more non-gmo soy products, plant foods, fish, little to no dairy from cows or any other animals, and meat is used as a garnish in very small amounts and certainly not at every meal, and sometimes not at all.

Just as importantly eating whole unprocessed foods is key. Anything out of a package should be avoided. I'm not talking about products like Quaker  Oatmeal that has one ingredient. I am talking about products such as sugary cereals, packages snacks. Most packaged foods have umpteen preserving ingredients, which I won't address because that is a whole other subject. But you get my meaning.  Cardiovascular disease is attacking our children for a reason.

Last but not least. Avoidance of alcohol. Alcohol slows the metabolism and makes it more difficult for our bodies to burn fat, and contributes to hormone production and certain cancers. This is more important for women than men.  Men lose weight easier and faster than women any way. Turkeys@!!

Anyway hope you find something in here  that is of use and will help you on your healthy lifestyle journey!

Obama Care?? We need new medicine, not just more pills

Forks Over Knives(Cookbook also)

Vegucated

The Last Heart Attack

The Weight of The Nation

Supersize Me

Books:

Eat to Live

Engine2diet

Skinney Bitch

Our food addiction is killing us! Please watch these videos when you have a chance. The weight of the nation has about 3 parts I think. It has been a while since I watched it so not entirely sure. They were all well worth my time to watch. Our eating habits effect every aspect of our lives, not just our health but the environment, and the cost of medical insurance in this country. Here we are in the throws of a government shutdown because of Obama Care when we really need to do something about why health care is so expensive. Could it be because we are so desperate for it? Because so many Americans are so sick!

We heap the problem of our health on our healthcare system when what we really need to do is take responsibility for our health. Stop gorging on the wrong foods. Put money into  growing more vegetables and less into the meat and dairy industry. If we didn't eat so many animal products it would reduce the effects on the environment, stop disgusting animal treatment,  heal our fatty hearts and livers thus encourage less heart disease, and possibly even less cancer. This is where research money should be going. Want to cure cancer? How about trying to starve it? Dr. Campbell's research is genious!  Even macrobiotics has been around forever. Why has this not been explored?

I am now trying the (plant based diet) vegan diet even though I grew up on a beef producing ranch. If I can go against my upbringing so can you. Lets do what we can as individuals to improve our own health and live productive lives.

Let nutrition be they medicine.     Hipocrates

Leavin on a Jet plane......

going too leave for 10 days on Thursday for a fall foilage cruise from New York to Halifax Canada and  back.  I will miss my pups so much and wish they could come with. They would love the cool weather and the cozy cabin which they would stay in most of the time. All we would need is a grass patch. 

Choose Life through Nutrition: Not for nothing but.....Sobriety Can.........

Choose Life through Nutrition: Not for nothing but.....Sobriety Can.........: So, I'm writing this because I believe some people may want or even need to know.  If there are any males that read this, I apologize ah...